


Distance

by Whymsical



Series: in this universe and the next [26]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Cardverse, Established Relationship, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Magic, Mutual Pining, Pining, but only because arthur's fucked off for a few months lol, the other suits are mentioned, there's also like a handful of curse words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23333782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whymsical/pseuds/Whymsical
Summary: With Arthur gone from the castle, they can only communicate once every few days, for a short period of time. It's not enough. It's never enough. Alfred's patience frays, and all he wants is his Queen back home.
Relationships: America/England (Hetalia)
Series: in this universe and the next [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1175639
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	Distance

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a long overdue gift fic for [a-lfreedom](https://a-lfreedom.tumblr.com/). They wanted a fluffy piece with Alfred and Arthur in a long distance relationship, reassuring each other about their love. I tweaked it a bit and stuck them in Cardverse rather than just regular university, because I'm a sucker for Cardverse lol. I hope it's still alright!

“Arthur, go sleep. You’re obviously exhausted.” Their connection is fizzling at the edges, and Alfred can see the way Arthur’s eyelids are drooping.

“No, I… I’m fine.” Arthur blinks a few times and rubs at his eyes. His image on the waterfall clears and sharpens once more. “I feel like we haven’t spoken in ages, and tomorrow we’re going on another expedition.”

Alfred chews on his lower lip. “More ruins?”

“He’s found a door leading into the mountains, and Alfred, the energy that’s bleeding out from it…” Arthur lets out a sigh. “It’s going to be incredible.”

The King can’t help but to smile at the way his Queen’s green eyes have lit up. “Be careful, though. Last time was a close call, wasn’t it?”

“We err, might have rushed into that one a little bit. But don’t worry, Al. I’m more than capable to face anything now.”

“So you’ll come home soon?” Alfred perks up. “The meetings have been _so_ boring without you there, and-”

“I have to stay longer.” Arthur looks down, fiddles with something out of sight.

“But you said you’re capable-”

“But there’s still so much more for me to learn! It was hard enough to convince him to teach me in the first place, to make sure that this trip wasn’t worthless. If I leave now, I’m never going to be able to come back.”

Alfred’s hands clench at his sides. “You’ve been gone _six months_ , Arthur. Too much longer, and we’ll be vulnerable to an attack.”

“Who’s going to attack us? Diamonds and Hearts are allies, Clubs is still in its honeymoon phase with the new Queen and Jack, we’re _fine_.” Arthur crosses his arms over his chest. “I need to do this.”

“And I need you here.” Alfred’s voice is soft.

“That’s not fair and you know it. You’re being selfish.”

“I’m being selfish? You’re the one who snuck out!”

“This was the best time to-” Suddenly, Arthur’s mouth clicks shut. “We’re not doing this. Good night, Alfred.”

The connection is severed before Alfred can say another word. Arthur’s image vanishes, leaving just a regular waterfall in its place. He sighs heavily and runs his fingers through his hair, then leaves the room. The Scrying Chamber is home to a waterfall and a small pool that drains deeper into some underground river, and is part of a larger complex of rooms underneath Spades Palace. It all makes up The Queen’s Labyrinth, where all the Queens of Spades have practised and stored their magical knowledge. It’s all very pretty and glowy, but Alfred is wary of it, after he’d brushed up against some statue that had turned him into a rabbit for a week. Better to leave this place to Arthur. But the Scrying Chamber is the only way he can talk to Arthur while the Queen is gone, so every few days he braves the maze of rooms for a little while.

Careful not to touch anything, he makes his way back up to the castle proper. The Jack is waiting for him.

“I’m to assume it didn’t go well?” Yao asks.

Alfred purses his lips. “He’s being stubborn. His precious master’s found some new ruin for them to explore and it’s just-” He starts pacing the room, raking his hands through his hair and making it even more of a mess than usual. “ _Ugh!_ It’s so frustrating! He’s so far away and there’s nothing I can do and- and how do we even know we can trust this dude? He just _suddenly_ sends a summons for the Queen of Spades and oh nooo Arthur just _has_ to go halfway across the fucking world because there’s no other way and he _has_ to go alone and-” He cuts off with a wordless, jumbled groan of frustration.

Yao schools his features into something less amused when the King looks to him. “You’re right. We can’t trust this master.”

“See-?!”

“ _But_. But we can trust Arthur. Do you trust your husband, Alfred? Do you trust your Queen?”

The King deflates like a limp hot air balloon. “I…do.” He paces over to the other side of the room and slumps into a chair, head in his hands. “I just don’t like being so far away from him. So…unable to protect him.”

“Arthur would kick your ass if he heard you say that and we both know it.”

“Yeah.” Alfred chuckles along with his Jack. “Yeah, he totally would. But he’s not here to hear it, so lemme say it just this once.”

“My lips are sealed.”

“Good.”

Yao clears his throat. “While you were in there, we’ve had another message come in…”

Alfred groans again, and takes a deep breath. “King’s work is never done, eh? And now I get to do Arthur’s paperwork, too. Lead the way, Yao, let’s get this over with.”

* * *

He waits by the waterfall for two hours, but Arthur doesn’t show yet again. Alfred’s starting to get worried, and his stomach clenches. “Arthur!” he yells, as if his voice could somehow activate the magic needed for him to see his husband.

But he doesn’t know the spell, or any magic at all, so of course nothing happens. Magic is the realm of the Queen, and somewhat the Jack. It’s never been kind to Alfred either. Usually, one of two things happens; it doesn’t work, or it has the exact opposite effect. Arthur’s a natural with spells, though, always has been, and Alfred could watch him work with it for hours. But here, in the most magical place in the castle, he’s powerless and unable to reach Arthur.

His eyebrows are knitted together when he finally gives up and leaves the room.

“There you are! I nearly sent someone in there after you!” Yao strides towards him. “Did you speak to Arthur?”

Alfred shakes his head. The Queen wasn’t dead; he and Yao would feel it if that came to pass, but anything else is fair game. Sick, poisoned, unconscious, weak… Alfred’s stomach churns even more. “Where is he? What’s he _doing_?”

“You know how stubborn he is,” Yao ventures forth. “If he thinks you’ve slighted him…”

“I didn’t slight him! I said I wanted him back home, safe, with me! That’s all!”

“Still, if he’s offended-”

“I’ll send a bird,” Alfred mutters, heading for his office. “I’ll need your help with enchanting it.”

“Of course.”

At his desk, Alfred crafts a letter.

_Artie._

_I’m really sorry if I said something to piss you off or upset you. It’s been days, and I’ve been waiting for you but you never showed and I’m getting so worried. Please, write back, or something, to let me know that you’re okay. I love you so much._

_Alfred_

Once it’s done, Alfred carefully starts folding the paper into the shape of a bird, long and sleek. Technically the enchantment doesn’t need a particular shape, Alfred could just roll the paper up and send it on its way, but both he and Arthur like the extra touch the folding gives it. Makes it just a bit more magical.

Arthur was the one who showed him the steps, and while he can replicate the general shape, Arthur’s birds always look prettier than Alfred’s. This one’s beak is crooked, and one wing is shorter than the other. He gives it to Yao anyway, and watches as the Jack enchants the bird and tosses it out the window. It falls for a moment, then flaps its wings and soars northwest. To Arthur. Oh, how Alfred wishes he could join it.

“Now we wait,” Yao says, turning to him.

Alfred sighs, and slumps back in his seat. He rubs his fingertips together, spreading the ink stains on them. “Now we wait.”

* * *

Alfred doesn’t know what’s woken him, but when he opens his eyes, Arthur is at the bedside. “Arthur!” His delighted smile withers away when his hands pass right through the Queen, and it’s only once he blinks that he realises there’s a faint glow around his husband.

The image of Arthur lets out a soft chuckle. “Sorry, love. Not yet.”

“How are you-?” Wonder overtakes Alfred’s face as he reaches out again, this time stopping his hand before it reaches the image. It gives his eyes the illusion that he’s touching Arthur, at least. “I’m not in the cave.”

“You’re not.” Arthur looks smug. “I was right, the stuff in those ruins… I’ve learned so many new spells, and some ways of conserving my own magical energy.”

“I’m happy for you.” And he is. He really is. But the ache in his chest won’t abate until Arthur is back home.

Something of that must show on his face, because Arthur looks away. “I got your bird. Your folding still needs work.”

Alfred brings his hands back to himself. “Yeah. You’re better and making ‘em than me.”

The image of Arthur sits down on the bed next to him. “…I miss you too. Very much. And it wasn’t right of me to say that you were overly selfish for wanting me back home.” His voice is soft.

“I love you, Artie. So much.” Out of habit, he leans over to rest his head on Arthur’s shoulder and squawks when he ends up falling sideway onto the mattress instead.

Arthur chuckles behind his hand. “Silly.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alfred grumbles, but he’s smiling too. “So when will you be back?”

“Soon. There’s a particular spell that I still need help to master. Once I’ve done that, I’ll return home.”

“Okay.” Alfred stifles a yawn into his arm. “What kind of spell is it?”

“It’s a secret. But you’ll like it. I’ll show it to you once I’m back.” Arthur’s face softens. “You should go back to sleep now. I didn’t think about the time difference.”

“I can stay up a bit,” Alfred insists. “I wanna look at your face some more.”

“Oh, just my face?” Arthur snorts.

“And listen to you pretty voice for longer.”

“Flatterer.”

“You like it.”

“I do.” Arthur makes a motion as if to stroke Alfred’s hair, then remembers the limits of the magic. “You spoil me far too much, but I can’t help but love it.”

“Spoil you just enough,” Alfred corrects.

Arthur’s smile is fond. “Just enough, then.”

For a moment it’s quiet, with Alfred just gazing at Arthur’s softly glowing form and Arthur looking back at him just the same. Then, Alfred speaks again. “I’m gonna throw you a party. When you get back, that is.”

“Oh?” One of Arthur’s impressive eyebrows rises.

“Yeah. Dunno if we should invite the others, though.”

“Hmm. Would be nice. We haven’t seen anyone since the Club wedding, and I’d like to get to know Elizaveta better.”

“She seemed intense. Different to Ivan, but I dunno if it’s a good or bad thing.” Alfred suddenly chuckles.

“What?”

“Clubs is kinda like us. Intense King and Queen, reserved Jack to keep ‘em in line. Or try, at least.”

Arthur smiles. “I suppose that’s true.” He suddenly looks off to the side. “I have to go. We want to get one more training session in before we eat, and you need to sleep more. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Alfred yawns, then gives Arthur a soft pout. “I miss you.”

“I know. I miss you too.” Arthur reaches out, creates the illusion that he’s caressing Alfred’s cheek. “I’ll be home soon.”

“Promise?” Alfred asks, still petulant.

“Promise.” Arthur blows him a kiss, and then the image disappears.

* * *

There’s a dragon in the woods.

The knight who reports the news seems oddly unbothered, but Alfred is too focused on the information to notice. He starts to call for the Ace to dispatch to deal with the threat, but the knight clears her throat.

“The dragon wants you specifically.”

Alfred blinks. “How do you know?”

“That’s what it said.”

“It speaks?! Yao, do dragons speak?”

“There’s been no record of it,” Yao says, then shrugs, “but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.”

“Alright-”

“Bear in mind,” Yao continues, “that this might be some sort of trap. I would not advise you to go alone.”

“I’m not that much of an idiot,” Alfred says, standing.

“Hmm.”

The King ignores him and gestures to the knight. “You’ll lead us there. Get something to eat and drink after your journey but be ready to leave in half an hour.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The knight bows and leaves the room.

Alfred gathers a group of twenty knights, and the Ace. His cousin Madeline might not look the part of a fighter, but her strategy and ingenuity are enough to rival Arthur’s, and she’s incredibly proficient with her chosen weapons. Her eyebrows rise up at the news of a dragon, but she’s ready to go in minutes. Dragons are rare, but not unheard of. The last sighting had been a century ago, in Alfred’s great-grandfather’s time.

He can’t imagine what this one might want. Gold? Jewels? Surely it would just take them by force. A princess? Spades didn’t even have a princess. A treaty of some sort, then? Alfred doesn’t even know what sort of treaty a dragon might propose. All he does know is that so far, the great beast hasn’t been hostile.

The knight leads the way to where the dragon is laid out, in a clearing in the forest about half an hour’s march from the city. They hear it before it comes into view, its breathing rumbling through the air like a huge bellows.

Its scales are a vibrant, iridescent green, and shimmer like jewels in the sun. The dragon is about five times the size of a horse with a wingspan that covers half the clearing when it unfurls its wings. Though at first it’s wary, it seems to relax once more when it sees the Spades standard. The dragon’s head is framed by golden spikes which continue down its spine.

 _Beautiful,_ Alfred thinks. “I was told you wanted to speak to me,” he then says.

“I do, my King,” the dragon says, voice reverberating within Alfred’s head.

Alfred’s eyes narrow. Then he abruptly dismounts from his horse and steps forward. His suspicions are confirmed as the dragon _smirks_. “…Arthur?”

A purring rumble of affirmation comes from the dragon’s – Arthur’s – throat, and his head snakes forward. “What do you think?”

Alfred lets out a cry of amazement and rushes forward, hugging Arthur’s snout tightly. “Oh gods, Arthur! What- How- Did you get cursed?”

Arthur laughs, pressing his nose up against Arthur’s chest with force nearly enough to knock the King over. “This is the spell I was talking about a few nights ago. The spell we found in the ruins, the power that was seeping out.”

“Whoa…” Alfred runs a hand across Arthur’s cheek, marvelling at the texture of the scales. But how…?”

“The dragons are dwindling in numbers. Because of hunting and sickness and just time. They’re powerful, though. So much more powerful than we can imagine, especially with magic. They can fragment off a part of their souls and bond it with a human’s. The human then changes, becomes not quite human, not quite dragon, but able to shift into both. Able to further both legacies.” Arthur’s form shimmers and buckles, and a moment later Alfred has the familiar, slight figure of the Queen of Spades in his arms.

“Whoa… That’s really cool,” Alfred says, but he’s slightly distracted now that he’s got Arthur’s body in his hold to touch and caress.

Arthur chuckles again, knowing this, and leans up to press a kiss to the corner of Alfred’s mouth. “I’m home now, though.”

“Welcome home,” Alfred replies, beaming as he twirls Arthur around and then leads him back to the horses.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I apologise again for the delay ;;w;;
> 
> Kudos are love, comments are life! <3


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